Jack Monroe's earthy red wine and mushroom risotto

05 MARCH 2014

When I need easy but comforting food, I always turn to a large bowl of warm, flavourful rice – and using red wine as a base works beautifully. In the winter time, serve this risotto in a deep bowl with a spoon, whilst snuggling under a thick blanket. Or it can make a special meal for two served with some lovely crusty bread, if you’re so inclined. You could also eat this risotto as a side dish with roasted chicken thighs or sausages, but I eat mine by itself with some green vegetables on the side.

Heat the oil gently in a frying pan. Peel and finely slice the garlic and add to the pan. Gently clean any excess earth from the mushrooms with a clean tea towel, chop them into small chunks and add to the pan. Shake the herbs over and allow everything to cook together for a few minutes.

Add the rice and stir to coat in the oil. When the rice starts to turn translucent, pour in the wine and add the tomato purée, stirring constantly to prevent any of the rice sticking to the pan.

When the wine is almost all absorbed, start to add the stock, one ladleful at a time. Stir in each time until almost all the liquid has been absorbed and then add another ladleful of stock. Repeat until either the stock is gone or the rice is cooked to your liking.

Sprinkle on some additional herbs to taste and serve.

Tips:
This recipe uses almost the same ingredients as the Earthy Mushroom and Wine Soup, so you could make them both at the same time.